I am a strong advocate for taking action to stabilize our economy to ensure a prosperous future. 

As you may know, I voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) when the conference report passed the House of Representatives on February 13, 2009.  President Obama signed the bill into law on February 17.  The stimulus invests across many areas.  At its core, though, it is about restoring health to our battered economy and creating and saving jobs: an estimated three to four million nationwide.

The scope of this package reflects the gravity of our economic crisis, and an effort by the new Administration and the Congress to address our situation. 

I encourage you to take advantage of http://www.recovery.gov/, which contains the full text of the bill and state-by-state information on its impact.  To help ensure transparency and accountability, this site will also track expenditures going forward.  As a member of the Appropriations Committee, we intend to provide vigorous oversight of the funds provided by ARRA. 

While the Recovery Act was an important first step, there is still more to be done.  In the coming months, Congress will undoubtedly focus on additional ways to address our foreclosure and housing crisis, financial sector reforms and other major policies that help families cope with these difficult economic times.